Skunked
by WoodwindDragon
Summary: Markus drops his watch and goes to retrieve it. What could possibly go wrong? (First upload on WOOP WOOP!)


**Okay, first upload here! I just got bored while doing homework and decided to write this. Enjoy.**

Markus Vaughn never expected something as simple as retrieving a dropped watch to lead to this. He just thought it'd be a quick trip outside and then he'd be back to his office before anyone knew he was gone. Of course, karma picked today to get back at him for the practical joke he had pulled on his girlfriend, Valerie, not long ago.

"Ah, damn it…" he muttered as he stared out the open window and down at the ground below. It had been awfully stuffy in the surgeon's office and, seeing as how the air conditioner had mysteriously malfunctioned, Markus was forced to open a window to let some cooler air in. In the process of opening the window, the clasp of the watch he was wearing managed to get caught and become undone, and then fell outside.

Markus figured that it wouldn't take him long to go outside and retrieve his watch. After all, it's not like he had much else to do anyway with no patients to see. He figured that getting some fresh air and a little exercise had to be more productive than sitting in his office doing paperwork and playing fantasy MMO games on his computer. He made his way over to the elevator, running into a familiar face once he stepped in.

"Going somewhere, Markus?" Valerie asked him. He nodded, drumming his fingers against his sleeve. She frowned, "You look tense, Markus. Something wrong?"

He finally spoke up, "I dropped my watch opening the window." He shrugged, "I know, sounds stupid. But hey, what else am I supposed to do on a slow day like this?"

Valerie brushed a wisp of hair out of her face, "Other than getting caught up on paperwork, I'm really not doing anything right now either. Say, you mind if I help you look for your watch?"

Markus shook his head, "As long as you're not still peeved at me for putting confetti in your umbrella."

She smirked, "If you think that's bad, one time I pulled a prank like that on my college roommate. Except instead of an umbrella, it was her car vents." Her grin grew wider, "And glitter instead of confetti."

Markus chuckled and shook his head as the elevator doors opened up once again, "I didn't know you were capable of something on that level. I mean, glitter? Now that's just cruel, Val."

"I'm going to assume you've pulled worse pranks," Valerie said as she stepped out of the elevator. "Now where exactly did your watch drop again?"

He scratched the back of his head, "Just below where my office window is, so not too far from the entrance." Outside, the two doctors relished in the cool mid-day air. Markus kept his eyes on the ground, watching for a glimmer among the grass, "I think I dropped it around here…"

"I don't see anything yet," Valerie noted, searching as well.

Markus' head popped up when he saw a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye, "I think I've got something, Val. Hang on." He knelt down, reaching out towards the glimmer of light in the bushes. There was a small rustling within the brush, and then…

"Oh..! _Son of a bitch!"_

Valerie ran over to where Markus was flailing his hands wildly, "Markus, what happened?!" He didn't need to answer her though. She could make an educated guess based on the foul odor that had to be what one would smell after burning several tires in an enclosed space.

He didn't stop wiping furiously at his face as he answered, "Found my watch, but I also apparently found a skunk hiding and… well… he sprayed me."

Valerie picked up the silver laying on the ground next to him, "Okay, no big deal. We just need to get you de-skunked. First off, I'll need some peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap."

Markus squinted through the skunk spray, "What ever happened to taking a bath in tomato juice?"

"Markus, trust me, that doesn't work. Just come with me and… don't touch anything until we get the smell off of you."

Thankfully, nobody was in the men's shower room of Caduceus when Markus went in there to wash the skunk smell off of him. He stripped down, tossing his clothes on the bench. Washing the spray out of his skin wouldn't pose too much of an issue. His clothing on the other hand… Well, the local dry-cleaner would definitely hate him after this.

A hot shower proved to both remove the smell and relieve the tension from both getting sprayed in the first place and the evil looks gotten from passers by. After rinsing the last of the de-skunking solution from him, Markus stepped out of the shower and toweled off.

"Better?" Valerie asked once he had changed into some dry (and non-smelling) clothes.

Markus nodded, still drying his hair off, "Oh yeah. I can see better, I don't smell like a tire dump…" He tossed his towel aside. "Why are you looking at me like that, Val?"

Valerie was clearly biting her tongue so she wouldn't burst out laughing, "N-Nothing… Markus… I just…"

"Whoa, Dr. Vaughn!" Kanae exclaimed. "Who gave you the crappy dye job?"

Markus did a double take, "What dye job?"

"Well, what color was your hair when you came into work this morning?" Now neither of the two women could hold back their laughter.

Valerie giggled, "That's right, there was _peroxide _in the de-skunking solution! Hydrogen peroxide bleaches hair, doesn't it?"

"Whoa, whoa whoa… Did you just say my hair is _bleached?"_ Markus said, face now turning red.

"Mostly bleached," Kanae snickered. "There are still a few bits of brown that the peroxide missed. Other than that, you're a blonde now."

Markus facepalmed, "Great… just great… Can I at least see the damage for myself?" Valerie followed Markus over to a window, where he could vaguely see his own reflection. "Well, to be honest, it's not the worst hair style I've ever had."

Valerie smiled, "You mean you've had worse hair than bleach blonde?"

Markus rested his cheek on her shoulder, "When I was a freshman in highschool I had an undercut. Between the two, this is the lesser of two evils."

Valerie returned the embrace, "You'll have to show me those pictures some time."

"Nice try, Val. Thankfully, I destroyed the evidence a long time ago."


End file.
